Caroline van der Plas is over the moon. The politician has found out that she is distantly related to reality star Martien Meiland. “We are cousins. It’s to scream!”
The great-great-grandparents of Caroline van der Plas are the great-grandparents of Martien Meiland, according to research from the TikTok account Family tree of the Netherlands. As a result, they have about 1 percent of the same gene. “I immediately texted Martien: ‘Hey, we’re family!’ He also liked to scream.”
Family of each other
Caroline tells Show news that she really likes it. The two already know each other. “I really think he’s a fantastic guy. He’s so funny and fun and kind. We immediately clicked with each other. That’s probably the blood that flows through our veins. It’s just really true: Martien and I are family.”
It’s just a happy piece of news, says Caroline. “We are cousins. I can’t celebrate Christmas without Martien anymore. That’s just not possible anymore. Hahaha.”
Distant relatives
Caroline and Martien know each other because they stayed together at the Van Dorst Farm. There they talked about the most intimate things, such as sex and intimacy. “I find sex and intimacy very different. I love intimacy so much. Do you know? You can experience intimacy all day long with someone, with someone you will love,” says Martien.
“And of course sex is very fleeting, very fast. Just like kissing. I find that a bit more intimate than the whole sex thing. That with those tongues and together inside… Yes, I find that even more intimate.”
Big pillow
Caroline agrees. “Yes, kissing is love, so to speak. That’s how I see it. I can go a long way with Martien. I do miss intimacy, but not necessarily the sexual or something, you know. But snug against each other. That is what you miss, of course.”
Is she looking for something like that? “I leave that for what it is. I have a pillow in my bed and I often sleep with it. I like holding someone. That someone is no longer there and then I hold that pillow. Then I don’t think: this is Jan or something, but the feeling is nice.”
Pedigree
By the way, it is conscious TikTok account full of celebrities who turn out to be distant relatives, such as Wilfred Genee and Epke Zonderland, Winston Gerschtanowitz and Rachel Hazes and Mattie Valk and Wim Kok.
Isn’t the concept of family seen very broadly now? In the case of Caroline and Martien, it doesn’t even go back that far, says the manager. “In theory (almost) everyone in Europe is family, but then you have to go back a lot further in time than this tree.”
Pedigree
The family tree that brings Caroline and Martien together is shown below. “The names on my side of the family are correct,” confirms the politician.